


Into The Jungle

by AreonAI



Category: Adventures of Tintin (2011), Tintin (Comics), Tintin - All Media Types
Genre: Drabble, Gen, I honestly don't really have a plan for this, I'm doing this as a break from school work but we'll see how it goes as a fic in total!, may actually end up being haddotin but no promises kiddos, on-going
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-08-05 04:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16360817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AreonAI/pseuds/AreonAI
Summary: Being lost in a jungle isn't so bad when in good company, but it's only the beginning. Tintin and Haddock end up trekking a strange orange jungle in search for a crash landing, but on their way back to camp, they lose their direction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, it's midterm time for me, and I decided to start this one-shot with no plan whatsoever. It's really just something for me to look forward to and work on for myself when I take time out of school work, so if there's something you'd like to see on here, or what you think, please don't hold back on letting me know! It's been maybe four years since I've written anything similar to this, so apologies for any errors!
> 
> (Bewarned: This also may or may not go into Haddotin in the future. Like, I legit don't know and can't promise anything since this fic isn't being planned, but for now, I'll keep the fic rated as it is written.)

Tintin sighed. "Captain..."

"And he kept dronin' on about that stupid tent! All o' these blisterin' goodies and what not, he barely noticed he was leading me to the cliffside!"

"Captain..."

"I had to grab his pack ta keep him from fallin', lad! Off a cliff on his _own property_! You'd think the man had never walked through the place before!"

" _Captain._ "

Haddock paused, realizing he was ranting quite loudly over his companion. "Oh-sorry, lad... what is it?"

"Look... we've passed this tree already." Tintin said, lifting his cap and pointing to one of the large, lumpy looking trees just near them. "I think we stop now and find out which way we should really be going before we get lost out here."

"Good idea, lad." Haddock grumbled, grabbing the belt of his pack. Beside him, Snowy immediately laid down, panting as the pair stopped. "It's too stuffy to be out here anyway. Wouldn't it be nicer to walk at night, when the air doesn't feel like yer head's in a bucket o' water?"

Tintin took off his pack and laid it by his feet, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. He looked up at the lumpy tree, sizing it up. "I'd agree with you Captain, but I'm afraid our candles won't last us enough to get us through the jungle by night. They'd only attract more mosquitos and I'm afraid we'd be circling the area for hours with the little lights."

"I suppose yer right..." Haddock began but paused as he began to struggle with the pack's belt over his chest. Tintin glanced back at his sudden silence and walked over, undoing the clip with a simple movement and helping him lower the heavy bag to the ground.

"Better?" He asked, smiling to himself.

"Much." Haddock groaned as he stretched, a few pops sounding from his back, and he sighed. "So what's the plan, my boy?"

Tintin turned back to the tree, frowning at being called "boy". It was a jab Haddock liked to use to joke about how youthful he looked, but it still earned him a huff or glare each time.

He shook his head, focusing at the task at hand. They didn't have much time to dally on these things at the moment anyway.

"This tree... it seems to go up higher than I anticipated, and I think it might help me find where we are if I climb up high enough."

"...Ye really think ye'll be able to find the camp from up there?" The Captain walked over and put his hands in his hips, squinting as he looked up through the branches.

"...Not really. But it doesn't seem that we have many options at the moment."

Haddock nodded and clapped a hand over his shoulder. "Alright, lad, let's get ye up there then- I'll lend ye a boost." Tintin smiled at the Captain, nodding his thanks. Haddock squatted down, joining his hands for Tintin to step on. In one swift push, he managed to grab one of the lower branches and curl his way up. With a bit of scrambling, he hoisted himself into a kneeling position over the branch.

"Alright... I'll be right back, Captain!" He said, slowly standing as he reached for the next branch.

"Ye got yer gun ye?" Haddock asked, his hands on his hips as he watched Tintin start his route up. Tintin falling was the least of his worries right now- he's seen the young man do things that would've easily scared the dickens out of any other sane person. No, what he ws worried about was _tigers_. He's heard of tigers sleeping in trees before in stories, but since this was his first time in a jungle, he couldn't say for sure. But whether if it was true or not, he'd rather his companion be safe than sorry.

"Always do," Tintin responded, grabbing hold of another branch and hauling himself up.

"Fine, lad; we'll be here waiting! Holler if ye need anythin'!"

Tintin waved back and continued his climb. It took some time and a few slips and scratches from the prickly bark, but eventually, Tintin's head poked out of the canopy and over the trees.  
He hummed quietly, taking in the vast view around him. Bright orange and red leaves were visible as far as the eye can see, large and small birds squawking and flying above the treetops. The Professor wasn't exaggerating...The entire jungle had really turned orange. "Strange..." he murmured, taking in the sight. The sun was slowly reaching the mountain tops nearby, filling the area with a warm golden glow, leaves beginning to rustle as a cool wind blew over them. Tintin smiled at the brief relief of the heat, closing his eyes and smelling the fresh, sweet air. It was soothing, but also a sign that night was approaching. He opened his eyes again, looking for any signs of smoke or life outside of the usual, but no avail. He pulled out his walkie-talkie and turned it on, setting it to the channel that was agreed on before he and Haddock departed from camp. Nothing but static.

Tintin pushed the button. "Hello? Is anyone there? Over." He waited, listening as he watched a few birds dive into the trees maybe a mile away from where he stood. "Professor, this is Tintin- The Captain and I lost our way back, we need directions. If you can hear me, we could use something to help us get to you- smoke from a fire or a gunshot so we could hear you might work. Over." He sat back on a large branch, watching the sun touch the mountains. More cool wind blew over his face and he sighed, resting his head near the tip of the branch he was on. It was nice to take a moment now and then to just... enjoy the view.

_Crack._

His eyes snapped open. He hadn't moved an inch, but he felt it- his branch was beginning to give underneath his weight.

"Oh no..." He looked around, trying to find something he could grab or hop onto when the walkie-talkie came to life.

"Ti...are y....there?"

The Professor! Tintin made a grab for the walkie-talkie, but the crack sounded again- his sharp movement shifted the branch.

"Crumbs..." No time for hesitation. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and turned it on speaking as quickly and as loudly as he could. "Professor, fire your gun into the air! We're lost, but we can follow the sound and meet yo-"

_Snap._

Tintin yelped as he fell through the air, the large branch he was on now falling just before him and hitting more branches as it tumbled down towards the ground. He felt his backpack snap the branches it missed as he pummeled backward, back down towards the jungle floor. Tintin quickly covered the back of his head and curled up to let the bag take the harshest of the blows, waiting for the impact to come.

~ ~ ~

Haddock sat down against the tree, Snowy laying by his side. He pet the dog's side, smiling slightly. It took a while for Snowy to finally feel comfortable around the sailor after the pair first met him, always weary and would growl whenever he got too close to Tintin. But after that first grand adventure, Snowy grew comfortable enough to tag after him while Tintin worked in his office at the manor and even sleep at his feet when he sat in the lounge with a nightcap.

He looked up at the tree, hearing Tintin's rustling slowly distance from them as he climbed. That boy was something else, he pondered, settling against the tree. He grinned beside himself, knowing full well what Tintin's expression would be if he heard him say that out loud. He knew it chastised the young man to be called anything childish, but fun and games remained as such. It was almost endearing to see him so put-off compared to his usually composed demeanor, but Haddock wouldn't carry it on if it bothered him that much... probably

"Aye...He's too grown to be called that, eh Snowy?" He said as he glanced down at the dog, who looked up at him with a curious expression. "...Much older than I was at his age, it seems."

Snowy yawned, resting his head on his paws in front of him. Haddock leaned his head back against the tree, contemplating on taking off his worn shoes. He didn't realize how long they'd been walking... maybe taking a nap would help take the edge off.

 

_Smack, smack, smack- THUNK._

Haddock awoke with a start, Snowy yelping and running as a large branch spiked the ground just next to them.

"Wh- what in the-!"

The sound of more branches breaking could be heard overhead, and Haddock looked up just in time to see Tintin crash through the brush and fall right into the gap between his legs with a loud "Oof!". His backpack nearly popped from the impact, and leaves scattered all over them as Tintin rolled to his side, facing the captain with a groan.

"Nng...." Tintin rubbed his head, wincing as he looked up at the Haddock's surprised and horrified face. "...Evening, Captain." He said meekly, giving him a small smile.

"Thunderin' typhoons, Tintin!" He roared, standing and lifting him up by the shoulders. Tintin swayed slightly as the captain put him on his feet, rubbing his eyes. "What happened up there?!" He asked, worry evident on his face as he steadied Tintin with a strong grip. Snowy bounded back at the sound of Tintin's voice, yapping as he reached his owner.

"W-well, I managed to reach the Professor with the walkie-talkie he gave us... I'm not sure if he managed to hear me, though. If he did, we may hear a gunshot soon." He shook his head slightly, petting Snowy's head, who had begun to jump up against his leg to greet him. "Down boy..."

"Oh for the love of- I mean why did you fall, lad? I never took you for the slippery type!" Haddock frowned, not taking notice when the walkie-talkie bounced to the ground next to Tintin.

Tintin frowned, looking down at it as he rubbed a small welt on the back of his head. He had faint scratches from the leaves and branches littering his forearms and neck, a few leaves and markings on his clothing. "Oh... I leaned back on a branch while I waited for a response from the Professor... I reached him on the device, you see, but when I shifted to respond, it snapped underneath me."

Haddock groaned in dismay, rubbing his face in his free hand. "Lad... you've got to be-"

"More careful, I know..." Tintin stepped back, kneeling down to retrieve the walkie-talkie when the sound of a gunshot rang through the air.

Tintin's head snapped up. "That's him! It's the Professor!" He picked up the bag, looking pleased to have found a quick way out of the emending lecture. "Quickly, Captain, he must be west of here!"

Haddock frowned. "...Fine, but don't expect this to be over ye ginger-tuft pipsqueak!" He growled, picking up his own pack. "Falling from a damn tree... Oh, do I have a bone to pick with you, lad."

Snowy perked up at hearing the word bone, his tail wagging as he padded over to Haddock.

"Oh, come off it, you little rat- We got to get to that blasted camp first." He bent down and picked him up, striding after Tintin, who had already gathered his things and rushed off into the trees.


	2. Now You Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The One Where Haddock Gets Real Over Some Frank And Beans

"Professor?" Tintin called loudly, stepping over another small brush. The jungle was beginning to darken, and it was starting to make Tintin anxious. They had been walking for a while, but he wasn't sure if they should keep going or not. It was getting darker much quicker than he had anticipated, and if they kept going, they could get lost again... He frowned, the indecisiveness of it all beginning to bother him.

"Tintin, I recon we should start setting up camp!" Haddock called from behind, still holding Snowy to his side. "Not that a nighttime stroll wouldn't be pleasant, but... this ain't exactly Marlinspike, lad, and it seems we got a bit to go still."

He was right. They couldn't roam here as comfortably as they would back in the Captain's estate. Tintin slowed down, coming to a stop in a small clearing. 

"I suppose you're right..." He sighed, looking up at the sky through a few openings in the trees. It was dusk, and a few stars were alreading poking through the sunlight. "We'll stop here for the night, then. Just let me make a few markings so we know which way we to head in the morning." 

Haddock sighed in relief, carefully dropping Snowy and his pack back down to the leafy floor. After walking for so many hours, camp sounded marvelous. It was a wonder how Tintin seemed like he could still go on, even after a full day of roaming the jungle with a heavy backpacks and two tired companions. 

"I got a feelin' that you would've kept walkin' 'til sunrise at the rate yer goin', Tintin." Haddock chuckled, emptying his bag into the middle of the small clearing and getting to work on making a small firepit.

"Little time is wasted when you focus on the task at hand, Captain." Tintin remarked, cutting small arrows into a few trees around them. "There. That should be enough for directions tomorrow."

He turned back to their makeshift camp and walked over to help Haddock make the fire, then laid down a tarp. They set up a tent over it, which Snowy took a liking to at once, and Tintin headed back to the fire as Haddock finished it up. 

"So, let's see... are either of you hungry?" Tintin asked, sitting back on a large rock by the fire as he dug through one of his bags. Snowy barked excitedly, immediately bursting back out from the tent as Haddock hammered down the last nail. "If you're cookin', aye." Haddock chuckled, straightening up and tossing the hammer into his pack. Snowy sat by Tintin, his tail wagging furiously as the young man pulled some food from the packs. 

"Well, I'm afraid all we have are two bean cans and some sausages... Heating them up might be the best we could do for dinner." 

Haddock sat down across the small fire as Snowy tried to reach the sausages. "Ahhh, now *this* I can do! Why that's just what we used to eat for weeks out at sea! Allow a professional to handle that, lad, I'll give ya a meal."

Tintin handed over the ingredients and sat back, putting a hand on Snowy's head."...Is that really all that you ate out there, Captain?" He asked, sounding a bit concerned. 

"Well, not *every* day...." Haddock said gruffly, opening the cans. "Sometimes we'd find bread at the docks or some fruits or vegetables to pair 'em with!" He waited until the fire was crackling steadily, then placed the cans in the flames and began to cut sausages into bits.

"Right... and you never got sick of that combination?" Tintin asked, watching him work. Now that he had time to consider this, he realized that he never really stopped to ask the Captain about his days at sea... he only learned what brief moments Haddock would recall in relations to whatever case they were doing at the time.

"Sometimes, but seafaring ain't about the food, lad. It's about you and the sea! And... besides, food was more of a... mandatory distraction than anything, so taste wasn't important." He chuckled, cutting the last pieces of sausage into the cans. 

Tintin nodded. He could understand that mentality... there were multiple occasions where Tintin was forced to stop what he was doing for sleep or food, both while finishing a story or while on the case itself. It was a mandatory hassle he found himself annoyed by more than once. 

Haddock placed the sausage bits into the cans and set flat rocks into the fire, placing each can over one. "Alright... that ought to do it. Now, we wait!"

Tintin smiled briefly, absentmindedly tossing a spare piece of sausage to Snowy. Now that they had the time...

"Captain... do you ever miss the sea?"

The fire crackled between them, Snowy already pawing for another piece at Tintin's feet. The Captain glanced up at him as he stoked the fire, thinking as to choose his words carefully. 

"Well... yes and no.... but mostly no." He said, looking back at the food. "The sea can be a cold and unforgiving beast, Tintin... a monster that plays and preys on sailors... but at the same time, it could also be a home." He took two metal spoons from Tintin's bag and began to stir the contents as the aroma of the food began to fill the air.  
"But home...isn't always what ye want it to be- Not forever. At least, not fer everyone, I think." He said, leaning back and tapping a spoon against his knee, flicking residue off of it from stirring. He put it to the side, sighing and taking a moment to think of his next words.  
"...I'd always thought bein' a captain was the finest job there could be, lad, the best way to live life to the fullest... explorin' waters and new ports, bein' part of a crew, doin' honest work on yer own ship... but it wasn't until leavin' it that I realized that there was more to life out here than seafarin' would have ever gotten me." He said, gazing out into the trees. He seemed lost in thought, his silenced breached by the crackling of the fire and the food starting to bubble quietly.

"Like what, Captain?" Tintin said in a hushed tone, never having heard his companion speak about his past in such a way. Snowy was just as silent, listening to their surroundings as the flickering orange glow of the fire made their shadows dance against the trees and bushes.

Haddock glanced back down to Tintin, amused at his enraptured look. "Like... realizin' that followin' the right people can change ye for the better. Ye learn more, and ye get to see more about others and yerself... not counting the fact that land can be much more intresting than bobbing about in the sea for a few weeks." He chuckled, looking back down at the cans and stirring the steaming food with his spoon again. "T' be honest... followin' ye around these past few months has been more fulfilling than all my years at sea. I feel like I'm learnin' again; only this time on land, o' course, and on me own. Well... maybe with the pitiful crew of you lot, but still." He grinned, glancing up at him again. 

Tintin stared, wide-eyed at his companion. This was definitely not something he expected to hear from Haddock, especially something so... _profound_. Sure, he had his instances where it seemed that all he had was his brute force, alcoholic tendencies, and sailor talk... but even Haddock had his moments, apperantly. The Captain laughed as he noticed Tintin's stunned look, shaking his head. "Take that as ye will, lad... just don't let the food get cold on ye, now!" He slid one of the bubbling cans towards Tintin, looking pleased with his work. 

"R-right... thank you, Captain. It smells great." He smiled his thanks briefly before glancing down at the can, seeing a faint reflection of himself on the surface of the steaming food. He took the spoon, gazing at the food and thinking about the Captain's words.... and felt his ears go red. 

He never realized how complex the whole situation was for the Captain. Sure, he figured Haddock must have missed life on land at some point, but since his family had been sailors for generations, he thought maybe his friend just wanted a change of pace. But to think that he helped the Captain have such a realization for himself...

Tintin moved the food around in the can, lost in thought as Snowy began to sniff at the edges. He never stopped to think what an impact he had on the Captain's life... was it really that big?

Feeling Snowy's wet nose against his hand, he absentmindedly picked up the lid off one of the cans and put part of his food onto it for him. This was going to be in his head for a while... if he hadn't told him this until now, how else hasn't he said about the past few months that they've been solving cases together with? Probably nothing as drastic as that but as usual... Tintin couldn't help but feel curious. 

He looked up at the Captain, watching him for a few seconds, then picked up his own can from the floor with his handkerchief and took a bite of the warm food. They both ate as the sounds of the wild began to make themselves known in their silence, Tintin eating with a distracted look as Haddock chewed happily, Snowy dozing away at their feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are the actual best y'all- Hope you liked my grand midnight slam of a chapter w/ little to no editing BD also i dont know how to properly make english text sound scottish in your head so... *presents my trashy attempt* plz don't kill me europe  
> (also I'm using this fic to practice them writing skills, so plz feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think! ((plz)) 👉🏼😎👉🏼)  
> Edit: Chapter 1 & 2 have been edited!


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